I am worried about my horse.

Question

I just started boarding my horse at my friends house. He is a 21 year old gelding. My friend's family all are pretty much experts on horses and I trust them with my horse. But recently my horse was beat up by one of theirs. He has bruises all over one side of him from hooves, bites, and from being pushed up against the fence. He never seems to be in a good mood anymore. I try to give him all of the love and attention in the world but he still won't even perk his ears up or have a bright look in his eyes. I am so worried about my horse. He wouldn't even fight back because he is so old. He is so defenseless. What if the horse that beat him up earlier does something even worse to him?

What should I do?? Please help I am so concerned.

Answer 1

You need to go beat the **** out of the horse that did this to your horse and let him see that you will stand up for him.  Then and only then will you see some change.

Answer 2

Your horse should not be turned out with horses that beat him up.  Speak with your friends to see if he can go out separately, or with kinder horses.  If that isn't a possibility, move him to another stable.

Answer 3

You have a few choices of things you can do but heres what I would do first.  Make sure the family at whose farm he is staying knows of this problem and how seriously you are taking it.  Then ask if they have a separate pasture that you can put him out in with another gentle horseor by himself.  If they don't have any other pastures where he can graze and run, then I would consider boarding him somewhere else.  To break it to this family, explain how you care so much about your horse and since they don't have another pasture, you feel the need to board him somewhere else.  They should understand.  If you really don't want to leave, you can keep him in that pasture and let him tough it out, but that may put him in danger.  Yes, it is possible that horse will do something worse because now he knows your horse is vulnerable.  You can keep him stalled inside of the barn, but he may get sore and not enough excersize.  If they do have another pasture, like I said before, you can keep him there alone or with a gentle horse.  The choice is yours.  Good luck and I hope your horse feels better!

Answer 4

Your horse is in the dominant horses territory, and he doesn't like it, therefore they will abuse him. Your horse sounds depressed. I would try to find a place where there are older horses, or better yet, put him somewhere by himself where you can spend more time with him.

Answer 5

Horse should ALWAYS be acclimated to each other. NEVER put a horse in a field of other horses they don't know. When a new horse is going to a new place where other horses are, they should be able to look across the fence at each other for at least two weeks before you put them together. The horses that are already there consider it their territory, and I have seen horses get badly hurt if they are not introduced properly. Your horse should be removed ASAP.

Answer 6

He does sound depressed, and no doubt part of that is pain.

Did he have a special buddy at his previous barn?  He may be missing him.  Or he may have a problem with adjusting to any change of routine - moving barns can be hard on older horses.

He'll need time to adjust to his new place and his new companions.  Ask your friends to turn him out with one of their gentler horses - he'll do better that way than alone.

Give him some bute for the pain.  Visible bruises on any horse, but especially an old guy, are painful.  Between missing his old place, getting beat up, and still hurting, he can't possibly being enjoying himself.

Give him time to adjust; he will.  Get your friends to keep him away from the dominant horse.  He should be happy here soon, but it does take time.  If he's not fitting in a lot better in a month, or if he gets beat up again, I'd move him back where he was.  He was happier there.

Answer 7

I think you need to make special arrangements for your horse. Seeing as how you're boarding him @ your friends house, they should be more than understanding that you don't want your horse in with theirs. Just explain to them what's happening behaviorally with your horse and that he cannot (and shouldn't!) have to be turned out with another horse that is injuring him. Just let him feel like he has his own space, keep giving him lots of love and he should pull through. Was he located at your last place for a majority of his life? A lot of times animals that are moved from a place they have grown accustomed to (esp. late in their lives) react poorly to the change. Just keep an eye out on how he's doing. A big red flag is if he stops eating or drinking. Good luck!!! :)

Answer 8

Your horse should be separated from the aggressive horse.  If your friends can't accommodate that, you should find another place to take him. A kick injury at his age will not heal as well as it would in a younger horse, and he is obviously miserable.

Answer 9

"beating" on the other horses will only make them stay away from YOU.

  Sounds to me like your horse was not properly introduced to the herd.

He needs to be gradually introduced and not tossed in with the gang.

Your friends need to keep the "new Guy" seperate where they will "meet" over the fence...then when there are no more squeals and posturing you need to put their lowest member of the herd with your boy... and so on untill all are together.

They may never all be back scratching pals - but at least he will have a chance.

Right now he is viewed as an intruder.

Good for you to know your horse well enough to spot a problem!

  

Answer 10

remove him immediatly

Answer 11

First ask your friends if they have another pasture to put your horse in so that the other horse can't get to him.  If they do not then you are going to have to make a decision to keep him at your friends house or move him to another boarding stable so that he does not get beat up anymore.

Answer 12

move him to a diffrent stable?

Answer 13

TELL UR FWENDS PARENTS

MOVE TO A DIFFERANT STABLES

SPEND THE NIGHT AT UR FWENDS HOUSE

Answer 14

There are a couple things you can do:

1) Keep him in that pasture and let him tough it out (not suggested)

2) Put him in a different pasture, but close enough to have contact with other horses (if he likes to socialize)

3) Move him somewhere else where he will be more happy

There's probably more, but these would probably be the more popular choices.

Answer 15

You don't need to beat up the other horses. What I would do is go over there when the horses are turned out. Take a whip or lead rope with you. Then just chase the other horses around. The reason I suggest this is that the alpha mare or stallion in a herd of horses will make the other horses move. Spend some time observing the group and see who is alpha. Pay special attention to chasing that horse off.

You might even hang out until one of the horses harasses your horse. Then step in and chase them off.

Horse life can be tough! I wouldn't worry too much, most of the time horses pick on a new horse for awhile but then they settle in. But I did have to recently move my 25 year old gelding because the other horses were not letting him near the grain at night. Things just didn't work out because he was so much older than the others. If your horse is much older than all the others you might consider boarding him somewhere else.

David

http://gentlenaturalhorseman.blogspot.co...

Answer 16

It is the old "pecking order" thing coming into play here.  Your horse, being the "new kid on the block" is being picked on to assure him that he is the lowest horse out there.  

Being that he is older and maybe does not have the ability to fight continually for his rights...I would make arrangements with the management to find a suitable "buddy" horse that can and will get along with your horse and pasture them together.  Or, if that is not possible then turn him out when the others are in...if this means being out during the night, fine that is doable.  Maybe there is a goat or cow or sheep that is horse friendly that your horse can cozy up to.  You do not say how many other horses are out there beating up your guy...there is one that is being a D*ck about things then surely they can separate Mr. D*ck and your guy.  If there is no way that your new barn can accommodate you and your horse then it is time to start looking for a new barn.  You cannot be at the barn 24/7 to protect him from the gang.